Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars from 12tomatoes.com/

Posted on by

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups (mini) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 package (10 oz.) soft caramels, unwrapped
  • Preheat oven to 325°F and line a 9×13 inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Coat foil with non-stick spray.
  • Combine the sweetened condensed milk and unwrapped caramels in a medium sauce pot and place over medium-low heat. Stir frequently until the caramels melt and the mixture is smooth and a medium-dark amber color. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt and mix together.
  • In a large bowl or mixer, beat together butter and sugars until combined. Then add eggs one by one, mixing after each addition.
  • Add in vanilla extract, then gradually mix in dry ingredients until just combined.
  • Fold in chocolate chips, then press half of the cookie dough into foil-lined baking dish.
  • Pour the caramel mixture over the cookie dough, and spoon the remaining cookie dough over the top taking care that the spoonfuls are evenly distributed across the whole dish.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and the edges have begun to pull away from the sides of the pan.
  • Remove from oven and let cool completely. Lift bars out of pan by the edges of the foil and cut into bars. Serve and enjoy!

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca from gearpatrol.com

Posted on by

Half box dried spaghetti (8 ounces)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 whole clove garlic
3 anchovy fillets, canned in olive oil
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup preferred olives (i.e. Kalamata), pitted
1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1. Start cooking spaghetti by following instructions on the box. Drain two minutes before ready, and be sure to reserve half a cup of cooking liquid for later step.

2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add clove of garlic, and cook until brown, about 1–2 minutes; then discard. Add anchovies to the pan and smear with a spatula until it forms a paste with the olive oil. Sprinkle red chili flakes, cook for about 10 seconds, then add tomatoes. Simmer for about 8–9 minutes, or until the sauce starts to thicken.

3. Lower the heat, and toss in capers and olives. Fold in the cooked spaghetti, and stir to coat. Cook for an additional minute or two until preferred doneness. If the sauce is too thick, use the reserved pasta water to help coat the spaghetti.

4. Plate, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parsley.

Oven Fried Pickles from www.delish.com/

Posted on by
  • 1 c. Sliced pickles
  • 1 c. panko bread crumbs
  • 2 tbsp. melted butter
  • 4 tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • Ranch dressing, for dipping
  1. Preheat oven to 450° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Pat pickles dry with paper towels.
  2. In a medium shallow bowl, mix together panko, butter, dill, garlic powder and cayenne. Season mixture with salt and pepper.
  3. Working in batches, toss pickle coins in flour until lightly coated, then toss pickles in eggs. Dredge the pickles in the panko mixture until fully coated.
  4. Place pickles on prepared baking sheet and bake until the coating is golden and crispy, about 15 minutes.
  5. Serve warm with ranch dressing.

 

Hot Fudge Sundae, Add Flaky Salt

Posted on by

1 1/2cups  heavy whipping cream
1/3c up Lyle’s Golden Syrup or corn syrup
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

  • 1/4 cup (20 grams) cocoa powder
  • 6 ounces (170 grams) bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1teaspoon flaky vanilla salt (regular flaky salt is fine, too)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
  1. In a saucepan, combine the cream, syrup, sugar, and cocoa powder. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and let simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chocolate, butter, salt, and vanilla. Once the chocolate and the butter have melted, strain the entire mixture to ensure that no pesky cocoa powder clumps remain.
  3. Let cool to room temperature. If you are making this in advance, refrigerate until ready to use and then gently reheat on the stove or in the microwave until the hot fudge is pourable. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
  4. For the salty sprinkles: Combine everything in a small bowl and mix well. Store in a small jar and sprinkle on ice cream, sugar cookies just before baking, puddings, hot cocoa, milkshakes, etc.

Bill Smith’s Atlantic Beach Pie

Posted on by
For the crust:

  • 1 1/2 sleeves of saltine crackers (about 6 ounces or 60 crackers)
  • 1/ 2cup softened unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
For the filling:

  • One14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup lemon or lime juice or a mix of the two
  • Fresh whipped cream, for garnish
  • Coarse sea salt, for garnish
  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
  2. Crush the crackers finely, but not to dust. You can use a food processor or your hands. Add the sugar, then knead in the butter until the crumbs hold together like dough. Press into an 8-inch pie pan. Chill for 15 minutes, then bake for 18 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. note: crust took at least 15 min more to become golden, set on convection bake at 375.
  3. While the crust is cooling (it doesn’t need to be cold), beat the egg yolks into the milk, then beat in the citrus juice. It is important to completely combine these ingredients. Pour into the shell and bake for 16 minutes until the filling has set. The pie needs to be completely cold to be sliced. Serve with fresh whipped cream and a sprinkling of sea salt.

Pizza Pull-Apart Sliders

Posted on by

for the sliders:
1 package (12) dinner rolls
1/2 cup pizza sauce
12 slices mozzarella cheese
Sliced and sauteed mushrooms
slice black olives

for the herb butter topping:
1/4 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper optional

Preheat oven to 350 f degrees. Spray the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Slice the rolls horizontally (while still attached) to make a top and bottom bun.

Place bottom bun into prepared baking dish. Spread pizza sauce onto rolls.

sauté mushrooms in olive oil for 5 min to soften.

Next, add 6 slices of cheese (covering all of the pizza sauce.)

On top of the cheese layer, add mushrooms and black olives.

Add the remaining 6 slices of cheese on top.

Then cover all of it with the top bun.

Pizza Sliders (www.thecountrycook.net)

Now, make the seasoned buttery topping. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir well.

Then cover all of it with the top bun. Then, using a brush (or a spoon) spread topping all over the sliders. Be sure to get the sides too!

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 15 minutes. You’ll want to see that the cheese is all nice and melty around the edges.

Shrimp Cocktail Dip

Posted on by

  • 3/4 pound frozen cooked shrimp (thawed, tails removed, divided)
  • 1/2 pound cream cheese (softened)
  • 1/3 cup cocktail sauce
  • 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
  • 2 tablespoons chives (sliced, for garnish)
  • kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • butter crackers (to serve)
  • Thaw shrimp as per package instructions and dry well.
  • In the bowl of a food processor, add half of the cooked shrimp, cream cheese, prepared horseradish, and cocktail sauce. Puree until completely smooth, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the remaining shrimp and pulse until chopped. Transfer dip into a serving bowl and garnish with chopped chives. Serve with butter crackers.
  • Tip: This dip is also great in a sandwich spread on a tea sandwich!

cooking potatoes

Posted on by

When boiled or parboiled potatoes are required I now substitute microwaving for boiling.
Potatoes are not peeled just scrubbed and dried then processed as required.
For roast potatoes around 5 minutes, allow to cool, after which skin should peel off early. Cut to size, place in an oiled dish, and roast as usual. Reslt is the best I have ever had.
For smashed potatoes 6-8 minutes then placed on a board and flattened using a folded tea towel. Season, oil, and roast as usual.
Mashed potatoes take around 8 minutes then left to cool and skin peeled off. Once peeled they are re-heated in the microwave for 1-2 minues after which I mash them in my mixer with butter, milk, salt, and pepper.
Times wll vary according to microwave, those work for me and there is no risk of scalding
Best Regards
Tom Mc Rae
Brisbane Australia

Shawarma sauce from NY Times

Posted on by

2 lemons, juiced
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon turmeric
A pinch ground cinnamon
Red pepper flakes, to taste
1 large red onion, peeled and quartered
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Prepare a marinade. Combine the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon and red pepper flakes in a large bowl, then whisk to combine. Add the chicken and toss well to coat. Cover and store in refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.

Scatter the parsley over the top and serve with tomatoes, cucumbers, pita, white sauce, hot sauce, olives, fried eggplant, feta, rice — really anything you desire.

Salmon Pasta with Green Goddess Pesto from thewoksoflife.com/

Posted on by
  • 1 large handful of basil (about 1 cup chopped)
  • 1 large handful of parsley (about 1 cup chopped)
  • 1 small handful of dill (about ½ cup chopped)
  • 1 small bunch of chives (about ½ cup chopped)
  • 2 scallions, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • The leaves from 3 stalks of tarragon (stems discarded)
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
  • 1½ pound salmon fillet
  • 1 pound dried fettuccine
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • ⅓ cup capers, drained and roughly chopped
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 cups frozen peas
  • Zest of a whole lemon
  • First make the green goddess pesto. In the bowl of a food processor, add the basil, parsley, dill, chives, scallions, tarragon, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and olive oil. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Next, rinse your salmon fillet, pat it dry with a paper towel, and season with salt. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the salmon until cooked through on both sides, approximately 5-6 minutes per side (depending on the thickness of the fish and your preference for doneness). When it’s cooked to your liking, transfer to a plate, and with two forks, flake the salmon.
  • Next, bring a pot of salted water up to a boil. Boil the pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
  • While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and the garlic. Stir the garlic until lightly browned, and then add the capers. Turn the heat all the way down to low, and stir to combine. Add the heavy cream, followed by the peas. Stir to warm the peas through.
  • Add the cooked pasta and stir thoroughly until the pasta is coated in the cream. Next, add the pesto and stir to combine. Top with the flaked salmon, additional black pepper to taste, and lemon zest.